Country considering medical ethics panel

China is considering creating a national ethics committee that would supervise life science technologies and researchers to ensure they conform to ethical standards, a former top health official said on Monday.

Huang Jiefu, former vice-minister of health, said the proposal has received positive feedback from China's top leadership.

Huang and other experts proposed setting up a national ethics committee following the announcement last month by a Chinese scientist that gene-editing technology had been used on twin female embryos - supposedly to make them immune to HIV.